“Make the most of every opportunity you have for doing good." ~ Ephesians 5:16
As if her VCR was pressed in
rewind mode, images of Nevaeh’s childhood flashed before her eyes. Youthful memories are a photo album that can
be edited. She kept the best ones -
those that brought joy and let the others fade away.
There she was, age three, building a sand sculpture on the
beach ... feeling the warmth of bright sunlight shining down on her cute,
angelic face. Nevaeh imagined a birthday
cake fashioned of sweet caramel sand with candy grains of golden sugar and
creamy frosting.
Holding one hand and one foot, Daddy would spin her around faster
and faster, calling it an "airplane" ride. She felt giddy with pleasure ‘flying’ above
the tall grass and meadow wildflowers.
Hopscotch, with colorful chalk amid the beating sun was how she
and her grade school friends spent the last of each Indian summer. Without computers or iPhones, they drew
squares on crumbling sidewalks; cheapest entertainment money could buy.
Moving still faster now.
Those same hands grasped a pencil tightly they while
taking her first math test.
Later yet, only slightly more relaxed, they held onto a steering wheel,
driving along with family and friends.
Their wedding was perfect – a simple ceremony that celebrated
the purity of their love just as a simple frame accentuates the beauty of a
photograph. It was like basic air and
water rather than fireworks; unpretentious with one another, their commitment was
forever.
Tearful cries interrupted Nevaeh’s dreamlike serenity as her
husband burst into tears. His glossy
eyes turned to Nevaeh. In an almost-broken
voice he spoke gratefully of their beautiful daughter.
Through her exhaustion she smiled, letting her eyes leave
his face to take in the newborn she brought to chest. Her eyes were more brilliant than she could’ve
dreamed they’d be, her hands more delicate. She felt so light, looked so perfect, smelled
so divine. Only minutes old and her tiny
girl began to root, content smile, instincts strong.
Hers had been a childhood of innocence, wonder, security, and
of love. Nevaeh (Heaven spelled
backward) now understood that children hold the future in their delicate
hands. Perhaps God had given her a second
chance ... a chance to relive her childhood again; maybe even better this
time!
She must enable this infant child to shape that future, to
inspire her to dream of hope, peace and love; to empower her with the values
and skills to make those dreams come true.
As parents, it’s ultimately our responsibility to instill
those foundational principles purposefully if we want a peaceful, thriving
world.
